European Council President Antonio Costa reaches out to Moscow with the aim of engaging Russian President Vladimir Putin in discussions on ending the war in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter and a confirmation from Costa’s office. Bloomberg reports that Costa has made contact with the Kremlin to set up a back channel to Putin, citing sources familiar with the outreach. The Financial Post repeats the same claim, also attributing the information to people familiar with the situation. The Kyiv Post adds that Costa’s office confirms brief diplomatic contacts with the Kremlin made in recent weeks, intended to open communication channels as Europe supports efforts that could lead to negotiations to end the fighting.
The reports describe the initiative as limited and focused on establishing direct or intermediary lines of communication rather than announcing any public agreement. All accounts characterize the contacts as part of broader European efforts to facilitate talks on how the war could end.
